Aviation

Investigators scramble to solve Alaska plane crash mystery

Authorities are puzzled after the unexplainable disappearance. On Friday, the US Coast Guard recovered the wreckage of a small commuter plane that went missing a day earlier. All 10 passengers were found dead.

The crash is one of the deadliest in Alaska state history in more than two decades and is the third major US aviation disaster in the last 12 days.

What we know so far

The Bering Air single-engine plane, carrying nine passengers and one pilot, left Unalakleet, Alaska, around 4 pm local time Thursday, crossing over an inlet of the Bering Sea. Its destination was Nome, Alaska, typically only an hour-long journey.

• Once it was 12 miles offshore, all contact with the aircraft was lost.

• Around 45 minutes into the flight, radar forensic data showed something caused the plane to “experience a rapid loss in elevation and a rapid loss in speed,” according to a Coast Guard official.

What exactly caused the crash remains unclear, and no distress signals of any kind were detected from the aircraft.

What do investigators think? Currently, there is no leading theory among officials on what might have happened. Jennifer Homendy of the National Transportation Safety Board said on Sunday the aircraft was operating in an area susceptible to moderate icing, though the aircraft did have anti-icing systems on its wings and tail.

• Weather conditions were also poor, with restricted visibility, strong winds, and light snow plaguing the flight.

It’s the third major US aviation tragedy in less than two weeks: On January 29th, 67 people were killed when an Army helicopter and a commercial airliner collided in the nation's capital. Two days later, six passengers and one person on the ground died after a medical transport plane crashed in Philadelphia (see video).

International

Philippines VP impeached after assassination plot

It doesn’t really get any crazier than this. Last week, the House of Representatives impeached Vice President Sara Duterte of the Philippines after allegations that she had embezzled public funds and planned to kill the President, the first lady, and the speaker of the lower house.

Assassination plot

Duterte and the current President, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., won their campaign as running mates in the 2022 elections, however, have recently had a slate of political disagreements (to put it mildly).

Since late last year, Duterte and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, have been vocally open about their resentment of Marcos, accusing his camp of incompetence, corruption, and political persecution of the Duterte family.

• Then, when asked about her security, Duterte stated that she “talked with somebody” about killing the president, first lady, and speaker of the lower house.

  • The vice president went on to say, “I’ve given my order, ‘If I die, don’t stop until you’ve killed them,’” elaborating on what she told the potential assassin.

After these remarks, the lower house in the Philippines voted to impeach Duterte on Wednesday, with 215 of 306 legislators voting against her just weeks before midterm elections.

What now? In June, when Congress reconvenes, the vice president will be put on trial in the Senate. If convicted, she will be removed from office effective immediately and may face criminal charges.

House lawmakers have recently accused Duterte of using “diversionary tactics” to sidetrack the impeachment proceedings. Learn more here.

Law

Federal authorities investigate Chinese dance group

Not the first thing you want to happen when you’re on a world tour. Shen Yun, a Chinese dance group run by the Falun Gong religious movement (see here), is under criminal investigation by federal authorities for alleged visa fraud and human trafficking.

A multi-faceted investigation

Last year, a NYT report alleged the group exploited young workers by forcing them to work long hours and paying little to no money. Additionally, in November, a former dancer sued the company, alleging that it exploited performers, seized passports, and trafficked children.

Now, the United States Department of Homeland Security and the State Department are leading the investigation with help from federal prosecutors in Manhattan to see if the dance group is continuing to violate labor laws.

• Another part of the investigation, which dates back to 2023, focuses on romantic relationships Shen Yun’s leaders arranged for its performers.

  • Past performers believed they were mainly arranged for visa purposes.

Federal investigators are also looking into living and working conditions, like pay and hours, as well as a potential scheme for performers to smuggle cash into the United States.

Shen Yun’s headquarters, based in New York, includes a boarding school and college where performers (many of which are students) can live and study. The student’s educational needs are also subject to investigation.

How has Shen Yun responded? The group has said they will cooperate fully with the investigation and claimed that their dancers are not employed and labor laws do not apply to them.

Grab Bag

New research shows improvements in spinal muscular atrophy treatment

The new research could provide a breakthrough in SMA treatment. Last week, researchers reported that a spine-stimulating implant may aid neurodegenerative diseases like spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) by restoring partial muscle function.

The three patients who used the technology saw a major improvement in their muscle function, making it the first neurotechnology to help patients with neurodegenerative diseases regain cell function and stop the deterioration of their nerve circuitry.

How does it work?

Before we go over the research, you should have a little background on SMA: Spinal muscular atrophy is an uncommon hereditary disease that causes progressive muscle weakness by gradually killing motor neurons.

• The muscles that the motor neurons control deteriorate as the cells die, leading to serious problems with mobility.

  • There are treatments to aid in living with the disease, but no cure is currently available.

What did the trial show? Over the course of a month, three patients with SMA were implanted with two electrodes that stimulated muscles in their spine for four hours each session.

• All three participants experienced improvements in walking distance, leg strength, and other areas during the study.

  • However, the effects of the implant disappeared after they were removed.

Neuroscientists say the study is an “important proof of concept” and given its success, more trials are expected to test its long-term validity. The technique could also help people with other degenerative disorders like Parkinson’s and ALS.

American employees are quitting less often

This reminds me of a certain Wolf of Wall Street quote. According to the most recent Labor Department data, the number of jobs that US workers quit decreased by 11% last year compared to 2023 and 22% from the peak in 2022.

I’m quitting staying

Not too long ago, a hopped-up job market spurred a flurry of job switching as people looked for better perks, benefits, and compensation. Now, the job market has cooled, and finding a new place to work is harder:

• December saw around 1.7 million fewer job openings than in November.

  • Compared to the beginning of 2022, which saw over 12 million, it doesn’t seem many are eager to leave.

Hiring has slowed too: While still strong in industries like healthcare and hospitality, it has slowed heavily in white-collar sectors like banking, technology, and business services.

• After reaching a recent peak of almost 4.4% in 2021, the percentage of people employed in fresh jobs each month decreased to an average of 3.5% in 2024.

Most recently: The January jobs report showed that unemployment is at its lowest level since May, but job creation was at lower levels than expected.

Fast Facts

Fruit or Fiction: Mysterious plates of peeled bananas have been found around England... and no one knows why.

Judge on Jury: A judge in upstate New York resigned after he got out of jury duty by saying he was unable to remain impartial because he believed that everyone who appeared in court was guilty. 

Artificial Application: Anthropic, an AI company, warned its job candidates not to use artificial intelligence since they "want to evaluate your non-AI-assisted communication skills."

Money Muncher: As tech companies increasingly expand on AI infrastructure, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta said they're likely to spend more than $320 billion this year on data centers alone.

Nostalgia Nuke: After their operator filed for bankruptcy, all Quiksilver, Billabong, and Volcom stores in the US will close. May the memories made in those outfits never be forgotten.